The Steamboat Tavern, Ipswich

Official site of The Steamboat Tavern - thesteamboattavern.co.uk

Official site of The Steamboat Tavern - thesteamboattavern.co.uk

This is quite a pleasant riverside pub on the 'wrong' side of the river for the town centre, but only a ten minute walk from the station, so easily incorporated into a crawl. The pub has a compact L-shaped layout with a linoleum floor and walls painted in a two-tone colour scheme. A corner entrance deposits you at the apex of an L-shaped servery with a tongue and groove panelled counter front, a large canopy liberally decorated with pump clips and a very plain bar back with a blackboard displaying a chalk drawn Christmas scene. High stools and pews run opposite along with an upturned barrel surrounded by a few more stools. To the left is a simple lounge space with a couple of sofas, bookcases and potted plants, all benefitting from a warmer colour scheme which makes the space feel quite homely. Meanwhile, to the rear right, where the pub extends back quite a way, there is a bare boarded area full of tables and chairs in what might be described as a dining room, with a dresser full of condiments to the rear and access to an unexplored beer garden. The pub has landed in the Good Beer Guide and had three cask options available for this Saturday afternoon visit - Earl Soham Brandeston Gold and Sir Roger's Porter (£4.70 a pint) and Cliff Quay Anchor Bitter. Several more pumps remained unused, so maybe the range expands at other times. The service was very friendly and it was encouraging when the barman drew my beer through the line before serving my pint. I'd never have headed out to this part of town if this pub hadn't been brought to my attention, so it was nice to discover a decent backstreet style boozer keeping their beer well and drawing a sizable crowd on an Ipswich Town match day, making for a lively atmosphere. Not quite in the top tier of Ipswich pubs, but I'd certainly not complain if I found myself back here again. Date of visit - 8th December 2024

Separated from the River Orwell by the quayside road, this L-shaped pub is larger than I expected, with limited seating around the bar in the angle, a more comfortable lounge space to the left and a larger dining area on the right-hand side. Simply furnished and plainly decorated. Four cask ales on handpump - Trimley and Landguard from Mr Bees, Crouch Vale Brewers Gold and Cliff Quay's Anchor Bitter (£4.70) - together with three draught ciders.

My final stop in Ipswich before heading back to the railway station was this pub in the dock area. I'd overheard another couple trying to book a table for drinks here from the Dove Street Inn. They'd been told that it was fairly quiet. You get to the outdoor area by walking through the L-shaped bar. Unfortunately, whilst there were available tables, none were undercover and the rain was becoming more persistent. I wasn't the only one sat in the rain with a hat on! The two ales on were Mr Bees Suntan & Adnams Ghost Ship. Two ciders on handpull were Orwell "Old English" & Dorset Nectar Medium. The Orwell cider clip was hand written and I suspect this was really Old Oaky, as the ABV (7%) matched. This was certainly the most adventurous cider I had found in Ipswich and despite the rain watering it down, was very enjoyable. The rain spoilt my enjoyment of this pub. But I'd certainly give the pub the benefit of the doubt and say that it was one of the best 3 I visited on the day. Being within around 10 or so minutes from the station, it may well be on my itinerary the next time I visit the town.

large open plan pub next to river and modern developments. Standard pub furniture suits the building. Beer is average